Brentford have been dealt a huge blow after Thomas Frank confirmed Kevin Schade needs surgery on an adductor injury and will be out of action for “months.”
Schade was warming up before Brentford’s 3-1 defeat to Everton last Saturday when he fell in pain after taking a shot with his left foot. The 21-year-old forward received treatment on the pitch, before limping off while rubbing his left thigh.
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Scans on Monday revealed the extent of the damage and confirmed another setback for Brentford, just over a week after Rico Henry ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Henry is expected to miss the rest of the season.
Schade and Henry had forged a promising partnership on the left wing but Frank now needs to work out his alternatives.
What does this mean for Brentford and Schade?
Schade joined Brentford on loan from Freiburg in January and the move was made permanent in June for a then club-record fee of £22million.
Talented but raw, Schade scored his first goal for Brentford in their 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace last month. He was growing in confidence, making better decisions and developing a good understanding with Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa.
Schade’s speed has been his best attribute, with the German making darting runs behind opposition defenders.
According to Opta, only Bryan Mbeumo (13) has attempted more dribbles so far for Brentford this season, with Schade joint-second alongside Aaron Hickey on 11.
Brentford will miss Schade’s ability to draw fouls from defenders struggling to keep up with him. He has also registered the third most touches in the opposition box (13) after Mbeumo (30) and Wissa (36).
Schade (L) is congratulated by team-mates after his goal against Palace (Getty Images)His progress will now be put on hold, with Frank rueing the timing of the injury.
“He is a player that we have big expectations for,” Frank said ahead of Brentford’s Carabao Cup tie against Arsenal on Wednesday evening.
“He was starting to show some of his fantastic abilities. That happens. It’s football. There will be challenges we need to work our way through and we will.”
Beyond his Brentford trajectory, Schade made his debut for Germany earlier this year and came off the bench in their 4-1 defeat to Japan a couple of weeks ago.
Spending months on the sidelines will impact his chances of being included in Germany’s squad for their home European Championship next summer.
Childhood dream ✔🇩🇪
Incredibly happy and grateful for this opportunity 🙏🏾 @DFB_Team pic.twitter.com/3nhi0EyJYZ
— Kevin Schade (@kevinschade_) March 26, 2023
But back in west London, Schade’s injury means Brentford are running dangerously low on attacking options.
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Ivan Toney is only halfway through his eight-month suspension for betting offences, while attacking midfielders Josh Dasilva and Mikkel Damsgaard are struggling for fitness too. Dasilva is recovering from a hamstring problem and Damsgaard will see a specialist over a recurring knee issue.
It means there is a lot of responsibility on Wissa and Mbeumo to score goals over the next couple of months — and a challenge to restore Neal Maupay’s confidence after a disappointing time at Everton.
Who will replace Schade?
This should be a good opportunity for Keane Lewis-Potter to step up.
Lewis-Potter joined Brentford from Hull City in July 2022 for a then club-record fee of £16million, but the England U21 international’s debut season was disrupted by knee and ankle injuries.
Lewis-Potter replaced Schade in the defeat to Everton (Getty Images)In 19 appearances for Brentford, the winger has only contributed one goal and one assist. The hope is that consistent game time will now help Lewis-Potter fulfil his potential.
He replaced Schade in the starting line-up against Everton at the weekend and showed a few flashes of his quality. In the first minute, he drove towards the box and drew a foul from Ashley Young, who was booked. Yet, he did not receive the ball enough to keep testing Young and Everton’s other defenders.
“I believe in Keane,” Frank said after the game. “He is a player that came from the Championship and has been hit by two injuries. He is fully fit. He just needs to get that rhythm. There were some good signs on Saturday, but of course we want more. He will only get better.”
After their latest setback, Brentford will hope that proves the case.
(Top photo: Tom Dulat/Getty Images)
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